Dial and cylinder knitting machine



J 6, 1970 o. w. HOLDER 3,487,660

DIAL AND CYLINDER KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllh:IIIIIIIIIIIII INVENIORZ #215722 w O'ns w; HOLDER Bymmllgkwwm ATTORNEYS 0. W. HOLDER DIAL AND CYLINDER KNITTING MACHINE Jan. 6, 1970' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1967 P LE] OTIS W. Ho f BY wzjMim/flm ATTORNEYS Jan. 6, 1970 o. w. HOLDER 3,487,660

DIAL AND CYLINDER KNITTING MACHINE F'iled Sept. 5, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Illllllllllllllllllllll flllllllll INVENIOR: O'HS W. HOLbE-R ATTORNEYS Jan. 6', 1970 o. w. HOLDER 3,487,660

DIAL AND CYLINDER KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 OTLS W. HOLDER M.6%%

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,487,660 DIAL AND CYLINDER KNITTING MACHINE Otis W. Holder, Mount Airy, N.C., assignor to Oakdale Knitting Company, Mount Airy, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Sept. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 665,512 Int. Cl. D04b 9/22 Us. Cl. 66--1 9 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to improvements in a hoisery knitting machine of the type adapted to selectively knit either ribbed or plain fabric by the selective use of cylinder and dial needles and, more particularly, to improved dial needle control means for such machines.

Dial and cylinder knitting machines are usually employed in the knitting of socks or half-hose in order to knit a true rib top or cuff and a plain jersey foot portion. It is the normal practice to begin knitting at the top of the sock by forming make-up courses and then knitting on the dial and cylinder needles to form the preferred pattern of true rib fabric. The stitch loops on the dial needles are then transferred to the cylinder needles which have remained in an inactive position during the knitting of the ribbed portion so that all stitches are then formed on the cylinder needles.

The conventional dial needle control cams include a first set of knitting cams positioned closely adjacent the yarn feed position to move the dial needles outwardly so that the previous stitch loops are moved to the clear position (inwardly of the latches of the dial needles) and to then draw the dial needles inwardly to stitch forming level so that the previous stitch is shed (moved off the outer end of the needle and over the closed latch) after the new yarn is taken into the hooks of the needles. A second set of dial needle control cams is spaced from the first set of cams and operates to move the dial needles outwardly to a position where the stitch loops thereon may be transferred to the cylinder needles. After the cylinder needles have been raised to a sufficient height to pass through the stitch loops on the dial needles, the dial needles are drawn inwardly by the transfer cams and remain in an innermost inactive position, during the plain knitting on all of the cylinder needles. This conventional dial needle control means makes it difficult to properly shed the dial stitch loops, makes it diflicult to form normal stitch loops during the make-up, and does not permit the use of a drop-throat type yarn feed plate to form terry loops in the plain knit courses.

In an attempt to overcome some of these difficulties, it has been proposed to delay the withdrawal of the sinkers at the main knitting station in an attempt to maintain better control over the stitch loops on the latch needles, as they approach the yarn feeding point. It has also been proposed that a latch control plate be supported on the lower surface of the latch ring at the main yarn feed point in an attempt to delay the closing of the latches of the dial needles until after the yarn has been fed into the hooks of the dial needles. This type of latch guard plate is effective to prevent closing of the latches, but it presents other difficulties. For example, the latch guard plate depresses the latches to the point that the stitch loop on the shank of the dial needle will engage the tip of the latch and the latch will not operate properly; par ticularly when knitting a loose, bulky, paired, core spun or covered type yarn. The latch causes this type of yarn to split, part of the yarn being properly shed and the other part being brought back into the hook of the needle by the turning latch.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved dial needle control means which overcome the difficulties encountered with the known types of dial needle control means.

It is another object of the present invention to provide dial needle control means which is easily adaptable for use with conventional type dial and cylinder hoisery knit ting machines and which may be applied thereto in an economical manner.

Generally, these objects are accomplished by providing suitable dial needle control cams for clearing the dial needle stitches at the transfer position and which are spaced well in advance of the yarn feed point so that the clearing of the dial needle stitches takes place well prior to the knitting position and at a time when the sinkers are in an innermost position. The present dial needle control means also includes dial needle latch control means WhlCh maintains the dial needle latches in a partially open condition and prevents closing of the latches until after the yarn is laid in the hooks of the dial needles at the yarnfeeding position. The present dial needle control also provides an inward movement of the dial needles as they approach the main yarn feed point during the formation of the make-up courses so that the stitch loops on the cylinder needles are maintained under tension to prevent the formation of split or dropped loops during the make up courses. Inward movement is also imparted to the dial needles as they pass the throat plate at the yarn feeding position so that it is possible to utilize a drop throat plate in the-knitting of terry loops in a subsequent portion of the stocking.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view looking down on the latch ring and dial of a circular knitting machine, with the dial drive means being broken away to better illustrate the cam control means of the present invention supported in the dial;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a developed view of the cylinder needle cams, as if looking outwardly from the inside of the needle cylinder and illustrating the manner in which the cylinder needles are controlled during the knitting of a ribbed fabric, with the needles moving from right to left;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view of the dial with the dial cap removed and illustrating the dial needle cams and the path of travel of the dial needles when forming a ribbed fabric.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to the upper right-hand portion of FIGURE 4 and showing the travel of the dial needles during the formation of the make-up courses;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6--6 in FIGURE 5 and illustrating the manner in which the inner movement of the dial needle applies tension to the loop on the cylinder needle during the formation of the make-up courses; and

FIGURES 7-10 are successive enlarged vertical sec- 3 tional views taken along the respective lines 77 through 10-10 in FIGURE 4 and illustrating the operation of the dial needles as they are controlled by the cams in the dial during the knitting of a ribbed fabric.

The dial needle control means of the present invention is shown applied to a Scott & Williams type circular hosiery knitting machine of the low cylinder type. However, it is to be understood that the present dial needle control means may also be utilized with other types of circular knitting machines. Only those portions of the knitting machine have been shown which are necessary to an understanding of the invention, the parts of the machine which are not shown are of conventional construction and are well known to those familiar with the art. For example, this type of Scott & Williams knitting machine is generally illustrated and described in US. Patents Nos. 1,237,256; 1,256,062; 1,282,958; and 1,641,554.

The machine includes a latch ring 10 (FIGURES 1 and 2) which is pivotally supported at its rear end on a shaft 11 and the forward end of which is supported on the upper end of a bunter post 12. The latch ring 10 is supported in spaced position above the needle cyclinder 13 (FIGURE 2) and in which conventional cylinder latch needles 14 are supported for vertical movement. Terry loop type sinkers 15 are supported for radial movement between the needles 14 and in the radial grooves of a sinker bed 16 which is fixed on the needle cylinder 13.

A sinker cap 17 is supported for limited rotational movement on the sinker bed 16 and includes conventional type cams adapted to act on the operating butts of the sinkers 15 to impart radial movement thereto. The path of travel of the outer extremity of the nib portion of the sinkers 15 is illustrated by the dash-dot line 18 in FIG- URE 4. As is well known, the nib of the sinker is normally maintained in an innermost position to hold the fabric down on the cylinder needles. Outward movement is imparted to the sinkers as they approach the yarn feeding position and the sinkers are again moved inwardly after they pass the yarn feeding position, in the conventional manner. Rotation and reciprocation is imparted to the needle cylinder 13 by the usual drive mechanism, not shown, during the knitting of a sock.

Regular yarn feed fingers, only one of which is shown at 20 in FIGURE 2, are pivotally supported on a shaft 21 and are operated by the usual thrust rods 22 for movement into and out of yarn feeding position in the throat plate 23, supported in the latch ring 10. The throat plate 23 is of the type usually employed to knit terry loops and known as a drop throat plate having a downwardly extending forward guide portion 24 and a circular opening 25. A yarn feeding slot 25a extends downwardly in the guide portion 24 (FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5).

A special terry yarn feed finger 26 is pivotally supported on the shaft 11 (FIGURE 2) and includes a downwardly projecting body yarn feeding portion 27 which extends down through the opening 25 in the throat plate 23 when the finger 26 is moved down to operative position. When the finger 26 is in the operative position, a body yarn B is fed through the extension 27 and to the cylinder needles 14 at a low position, below the nibs of the sinkers 15. At the same time, the terry yarn T (FIGURE 2) is fed through the finger 26 and at the normal level of the throat plate 23 so that it is fed at a higher elevation and above the nibs of the sinkers 15. This feeding of the yarns at different elevations thereby provides a wide separation of the body yarn B and the terry yarn T so that the nibs of the sinkers 15 are above the body yarn B and beneath the terry yarn T during the knitting of terry loops in the sock.

Dial latch needles 30 are supported in radial grooves in a dial bed 31 (FIGURE 2) and above alternate cylinder needles 14. The dial bed 31 is fixed on the lower end of a vertical drive shaft 32 which is suitably connected, in a conventional manner, to the drive mechanism of the machine, not shown, so that the dial bed 31 rotates in timed relationship and at the same speed as the needle cylinder 13 to thereby maintain the dial needles 30- in alignment substantially above alternate cylinder needles 14. A dial cap 33 is supported above the dial bed 31 in a non-rotating position and supports the usual yarn clamp or binder 34, and the yarn cutter 35 (FIGURE 1). The dial cap 33 also supports the dial needle control cams of the present invention, which will be presently described.

The needles 14 are controlled by cams positioned around the needle cylinder 13 (FIGURE 3). Stitch cams are positioned beneath the yarn feeding position and throat plate 23 and include right and left stitch cams 40, 41, a top center cam 42, and a lower leveling cam 43. Stationary end cams are normally provided at opposite sides of the stitch cams 40, 41. In accordance with the present invention, radially movable end cams, indicated at 47, 48, are provided at opposite sides of the stitch cams, for purposes to be presently described. Relatively short jacks 44 (FIGURE 3) are provided in every other needle cylinder slot and beneath those cylinder needles 14 which are aligned between the dial needles 30, hereinafter referred to as alternate cylinder needles. The remaining cylinder needles (those needles which are aligned directly beneath the dial needles 30) do not have a jack 44 therebeneath. A radially movable jack raise cam 46 (FIGURE 3) is provided to engage the butts of the jacks 44 and thereby raise the alternate cylinder needles 14 to the level of the end cam 47 so that they engage and pass over the right-hand stitch cam 40, as shown in FIGURE 3, and raise these needles to clearing level. These needles then pass the yarn feed finger 20 at the proper level to pick up the yarn Y and are then drawn down by the stitch cam 41 to form stitches.

During the knitting of a ribbed fabric, the remaining cylinder needles are not raised since they do not have the jacks 44 therebeneath, and they pass beneath the stitch cams 40, 41 so that they do not receive yarn from the yarn feed finger 20 and do not form stitches. However stitches are being formed by the corresponding dial needles 30, in a manner to be presently described. When it is desired to knit plain (non-rib) fabric on all the cylinder needles 14, the right-hand end cam 47 is moved inwardly to the operative position so that the butts of all the needles engage and ride up the same and pass over the right-hand stitch cam 40 so that all needles receive yarn and form plain stitches thereon.

The manner in which the machine normally switches from rib knitting to plain knitting is well known. This is accomplished by transferring the stitch loops from the dial needles and onto the inactive cylinder needles so that knitting may be continued on cylinder needles only. As has been explained, the dial needle transfer cams are usually positioned approximately degrees ahead of the yarn feeding position and as the dial needles are projected to the outermost transfer position to open the stitches held thereon, the inactive cylinder needles are raised by a transfer cam so that they pass upwardly through the open stitches on the dial needles and then the dial needles are Withdrawn to complete the transfer of the stitches to the cylinder needles.

In accordance with the present invention, the transfer position has been moved further around the needle cylinder to a position approximately degrees ahead of the yarn feed position and the stitches on the dial needles are also cleared at this same position. To this end, the lefthand end cam 48 is supported for radial movement into and out of operative position (FIGURE 3) and a needle raising transfer cam, indicated is dotted lines at 50 in FIGURE 3, has been added. When moved to operative position, this needle transfer cam 50 raises the needles high enough that the inactive cylinder needles will pass upwardly beside the outwardly projected dial needles to pass through and receive the stitch loops therefrom,

The dial needle control cams of the-present invention (FIGURE 4) include an outer cam ring 52 and an inner cam ring 53, which are suitably supported on the lower surface of the dial cap 33 and include respective inner and outer irregular cam surfaces adapted to be engaged by the upstanding butts on the dial needles 30. A divider cam 54 is supported between the outer and inner cams 52, 53 and extends past the yarn feeding position. The inner butt engaging cam surface of the dividing cam 54- (FIGURE 5) has an inwardly curved portion 54a which draws the dial needles 30 inwardly as their butts move along the inner, inactive raceway, for purposes to be presently described. A clearing cam 55 is also supported between these outer and inner cams 52, 53 and at the transfer position.

Vertically movable dial transfer cams 56, 57 are supported for movement into and out of operative position to engage the operating butts of the dial needles 30. The dial needles in one half of the dial have short butts and the remaining dial needles in the other half have long butts so that the cams 56, 57 may move into and out of operative position, in a well known manner. The upper ends of these cams 56, 57 (FIGURES l and 2) are fixed on a vertically movable bracket 58 which is guided for vertical movement on support posts 59, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 2. The bracket 58 is provided with an upstanding sleeve 60 which contains a compression spring 61 that normally urges the bracket 58 and the transfer cams 56, 57 to an uppermost inoperative position.

The forward end of a control lever 62 is adapted to engage the upper end of the sleeve 60 and is pivotally supported on a shift 63 (FIGURE 1). The rear end of the control lever 62 is suitably connected to a thrust rod control lever 63, the lower end of which is operated by suitable cams on the main pattern drum, not shown, for imparting movement to the transfer cams 56, 57 and to move the same between operative and inoperative positions.

A dial needle control cam 65 (FIGURE 4) is supported for vertical movement between operative and inoperative positions to engage the operating butts of the dial needles 30 (FIGURE 4). The upper end of the cam 65 (FIG- URE 1) is connected to a vertically movable support bracket 66 which is supported and normally urged to an upward position in the same manner as the bracket 58. The bracket 66 and cam 65 are controlled by a lever arm 67, the medial portion of which is pivotally supported on a shaft 68 (FIGURE 1). The rear end of the lever 67 is suitably connected to a thrust rod control lever 70, the lower end of which is operated by cams on the main pattern drum, not shown, for moving the dial needle clearing cam 65 between operative and inoperative positions.

As best shown in FIGURES 6, 8 and 9, the lower surface of the outer cam ring 52 is cut away to provide a latch control groove 72 and to form a downwardly extending latch control cam portion 73, for purposes to be presently described. The latch control cam portion 73 extends from a position just past the transfer cam 57 and around to a point beyond the throat plate 23 and yarn feed finger 20 (FIGURE 4).

A first latch control plate 75 (FIGURE 4) is supported in a fixed position beneath the latch ring by a stud 76 at one end and a support plate 77 at the other end. The latch control plate 75 is provided with a pointed latchopening portion 80 which operates to open the latches of any dial needles 30 which are not opened by the stitch carried thereon.

A second latch control plate 82 is pivotally supported at one end on a stud 81 (FIGURE 4). During rib knitting, the free end of the plate 82 extends inwardly beneath the latch ring 10 so that it occupies the position between the trailing end of the control plate 75 and the leading end of the latch control cam portion 73 (FIG- URE 4. The latch control plate 82 is normally urged to the operative position shown in FIGURE 4 by means of a tension spring 83, one end of which is connected to the plate 82 and the other end of which is connected to the latch ring 10 (FIGURE 1).

A Bowden wire cable 85 (FIGURE 1) extends through the forwardly projecting portion of the latch ring and the housing portion is supported therein by a screw 86. The end of the Bowden wire cable 85 is suitably connected to the latch cam plate 82 and is controlled by the main pattern drum, not shown to move the cam plate 82 to the inoperative dotted line position shown in FIGURE 4 when changing from rib knitting to plain knitting and any time that the machine in knitting only on the cylinder needles.

METHOD OF OPERATION The dial needle control means of the present invention is particularly useful in the knitting of a sock of the half hose type which includes a true rib upper cuff portion and plain knit foot portion. The heel and/ or foot and toe of the sock may also include a cushion sole formed of terry loops. The operation of the present dial needle control means will be described in connection with the knitting of a sock having a cuff or top knit in what is known as a l x 1 rib. However, the present invention may also be utilized in other types of rib knitting, such as 2 x1, 1x 2, 2 X 2, and the like.

As has been explained, the dial needle control means of the present invention is also of particular value when knitting socks of plied, core spun, or covered yarns. When a sock is knit of a yarn including a spandex core with one or more inelastic yarns wrapped thereabout, any relaxation of the tension on the yarn causes the wrapping yarn to separate from the core and extend outwardly therefrom in whorls, loops and the like so that the latches of the dial needles may pass through these outwardly extending loops and cause the yarn to split, thereby resulting in an imperfect sock.

During the knitting of the sock, usual make-up courses are formed by lowering the dial needle control cam 65 (FIGURE 4) so that the dial needles 30 are moved outwardly to pick up the yarn Y for one rotation of the needle cylinder 13. During this rotation, the cylinder needles 14 Without jacks 44 remain in a lowered inactive position and the alternate needles 14 pick up the yarn Y. After one complete round of yarn is laid in the hooks of the dial needles 30 and the alternate cylinder needles 14, the dial needle control cam 65 is stepped up to the inoperative position so that the dial needles 30 are moved back inwardly to an inactive position, after they have picked up the first round of yarn.

As the next course is being knit on the cylinder needles only, the butts of the inactive dial needles 30 engage the inwardly curved portion 54a of the divider cam 54 (FIG- URE 5) to cause an inward drawing movement on the dial needles 30. As shown in FIGURE 6, this inward movement of the dial needles 30 places tension on the yarn Y extending around the shank portions of the raised active cylinder needles 14. With the yarn around the shanks of the cylinder needles held tight, there is no possibility that this yarn will get outside of the latches of the cylinder needles and the loop will not be properly cast off as the needles are subsequently lowered. This also prevents splitting of the yarn by the latches of the cylinder needles 14 as they are subsequently lowered. Several successive courses are then knit on the cylinder needles only with the dial needles moving in the nonextended inactive position to complete the make-up courses.

The control cam 65 is then stepped into active position so that all of the dial needles 30 are moved out at the transfer station, as shown in FIGURE 4, and then moved further outwardly to the stitch clearing position by the clearing cam 55. As the dial needles are first moved outwardly by the control cam 65 (FIGURE 4), the latch opening point of the latch guard plate 75 will open any latches where there is no stitch on the needle, such as when the yarn is broken. Ordinarily, the outward projection of the dial needle 30 causes the stitch in the hook of the needle to open the latch so that it is in a fully open position before it reaches the latch opening point 80.

With the latch of the dial needle 30 in the open position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the dial needle passes under the stationary latch guard plate 75 so that it cannot close after the loop has passed inwardly of the latch. The latch is then prevented from closing by the movable latch guard plate 82, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, while the butt of the dial needle 30 passes from the clearing cam 55 to the divider cam 54 and the cylinder needle 14 is in a lowered position. As the dial needle 30 is moved inwardly at this point by the outer cam 52, the stitch thereon has a tendency to close the latch, but the latch is prevented from closing by the cam plate 82 and cam edge portion 73 (FIGURE 8).

This cam portion 73 extends around beyond the yarn feeding position and prevents the latch from closing until after the yarn is laid in the hook of the dial needle (FIGURE 9) and the adjacent cylinder needles 14 are lowered to hold the yarn in the dial needle hook. Since cam portion 73 prevents closing the latch of the dial needle 30 until after the yarn has been laid in the hook of the dial needle, it is not possible for the latch to close before the new yarn is fed into the hook.

As the dial needles successively approach the throat plate 23 (FIGURE 4) they are drawn inwardly by an inwardly curving portion 52a on the outer dial cam 52 so that the hooks of the dial needles are drawn inwardly far enough to pass inside of the downwardly extending portion 24 on the throat plate 23 (FIGURE 2). This inward movement of the dial needles also causes the stitch to try to close the latch so that it is pressed against the cam portion 73 and the stitch is drawn well up under the latch. In this position, the latch of the dial needle 30 is ready to close and will immediatel close as the latch is released by the cam portion 73, as shown in FIGURE 10.

During the knitting of the rib top, the earns 47, 48 and 50 are withdrawn to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 3 so that alternate needles are raised by the jacks 44 and jack cam 46 to pass over the right-hand stitch cam 40, pick up yarn and knit, while the remaining needles stay in a lower position and pass beneath the stitch earns 40, 41 and do not pick up yarn or knit. When the desired length of rib top or cuff has been knit, the guard plate 82 is moved to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 4 and the dial transfer cams 56, 57 are lowered in a stepped manner while the cylinder needle transfer cam 50 (FIGURE 3) is moved inwardly. This causes the dial needles to be projected out to the transfer position and the cylinder needles to be raised so that their hooks penetrate the loops held on the dial needles. As the dial needles are withdrawn by the transfer cam 57 (FIGURE 4) the dial needle stitch loops are transferred to the previously inactive cylinder needles in the well known manner. The dial needles 30 then remair in an inactive position with their butts moving around the inner dial cam 53 as plain fabric is knit on all of the cylinder needles 14.

The heel and toe of the sock are knit in a conventional manner by reciprocation of the needle cylinder and by use of the conventional widening and narrowing picks, not shown. If desired, terry loops may be formed in the plain knit portions by utilizing the special yarn feed finger 26. It will be noted in FIGURE 1 that the special terry finger 26 and the opening 25 are provided in the center portion of the throat plate 23 so that terry loops may be formed during reciprocation of the needle cylinder and in the heel and toe portions, if desired.

Thus, the dial needle control means of the present invention includes a divider cam 54 having an inwardly curved portion 54a (FIGURE which operates to pull the dial needles 30 to an inner position during the makeup portion of the sock so that loose loops in the make-up are avoided. Also, the guard plates 75, 82 and cam portion 73 provide complete control of the dial needle latches throughout a major portion of their path of travel. The butts of dial needles are projected outwardly by the control cam 65 to pass outside of the clearing cam 55 and clear the stitches at the transfer position which is substantially degrees ahead of the yarn feeding position. After the stitches are cleared, the latches are held in the open position until after the yarn is fed into the hooks of the dial needles, so that there is no possibility that the latch can close before the yarn is fed into the hooks of the dial needles and so that the stitch loops on the dial needles are up under the latches and the tip of the latch cannot catch the yarn as the latch is closed during the shedding of the loop.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular hosiery knitting machine including a needle cylinder having vertically movable needles therein, a dial, a set of latch needles supported for radial movement in said dial, yarn feed means including a drop throat plate having a downwardly projecting portion extending below the level of the travel of said dial needles and positioned to feed yarn to said dial and cylinder needles at a predetermined location radially of said needle cylinder, and stitch cam means for operating said cylinder and said dial needles to form stitch loops of the yarn fed thereto; the combination therewith of improved dial needle control means comprising (a) dial needle control cam means spaced a substantial distance ahead of said yarn feed means, said cam means being operable to project said dial needles a sufficient distance to cause the stitch loops to clear the latches, and including an outer dial cam having an inwardly curved portion opposite said downwardly projecting portion of said throat plate, said inwardly curved portion being operable to draw said dial needles inwardly a sufficient distance to miss said downwardly projecting portion of said throat plate, and

(b) latch control means engageable with the latches of said dial needles immediately after the clearing of the stitch loops, said latch control means being operable to prevent the closing of the latches until after the yarn has been fed into the hooks of said dial needles.

2. In a circular hosiery knitting machine including a needle cylinder having vertically movable needles therein, a dial, a set of latch needles supported for radial movement in said dial, yarn feed means positioned to feed yarn to said dial and cylinder needles at a predetermined location radially of said needle cylinder, means for raising alternate cylinder needles and for projecting said dial needles to form make-up courses at the top of the sock, and stitch cam means for operating said cylinder and said dial needles to form stitch loops of the yarn fed thereto; the combination therewith of improved dial needle control means comprising (a) dial needle control cam means spaced a substantial distance ahead of said yarn feed means, said cam means being operable to project said dial needles a sutficient distance to cause the stitch loops to clear the latches, and including dial cam means for drawing the dial needles inwardly to tension the yarn around the cylinder needles and prevent the formation of split stitches on the cylinder needles during the formation of the make-up courses, and

(b) latch control means engageable with the latches of said dial needles immediately after the clearing of the stitch loops, said latch control means being operable to prevent the closing of the latches until after the yarn has been fed into the hooks of said dial needles.

3. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said dial needles include upstanding operating butts, and wherein said dial needles control cam means (a) includes a vertically movable dial needle control cam engageable with the butts of said dial needles to project the same outwardly when said control cam is lowered to operative position, and a clearing cam positioned adjacent said control cam and engageable with the butts of said dial needles to further project the same outwardly to clearing position when said control cam is in the operative position.

4. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 3, including a first vertically movable transfer cam positioned adjacent said control cam, said first transfer cam being engageable with the butts of said dial needles to project the same outwardly to a transfer position, and a second vertically movable transfer cam positioned adjacent said first transfer cam and being engageable with the butts of said dial needles to draw the same inwardly when lowered to the operative position.

5. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 4 wherein said latch control means (b) includes latch guard plate means supported opposite said clearing and transfer cams, and a latch guard cam extending from said latch Cir guard plate means to a point past said yarn feed means.

6. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 5 including a latch ring, and wherein said latch guard plate means includes a first latch guard plate fixed on the lower portion of said latch ring and opposite said transfer cam, a second latch guard plate pivotally supported at one end on the lower portion of said latch ring, and pattern controlled means for selectively moving the other end of said second latch guard plate inwardly to operative position and outwardly to inoperative position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,306,523 6/ 19 19' Childrey 66--24 1,728,299 9/ 1929 Murphy 66-24 1,853,783 4/1932 Smith 66-111 XR 2,436,318 2/1948 McDonough 66-111 XR 2,714,298 8/1955 Crawford 66111 XR 2,789,422 4/1957 Mills 66-436 FOREIGN PATENTS 310,236 4/1929 Great Britain.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6624, 11 1 

